Prada defends high price points of its clothes

Miuccia Prada has defended the high costs of her

collections, citing quality and fair systems as the reason for pricey Prada garments and accessories.

In an interview with WWD, Prada stated: "People [who] are intellectual leftists, they say I am expensive and horrible - 'How can you sell clothes at that price?' Simply, it's the cost," said Prada. "If you pay people to do everything with the right system, things are expensive. And the same people who criticise [dangerous production environments], when it comes to cost, they like the inexpensive pieces because they think it's more democratic. This is an example of hypocrisy."

Prada on its website sells currently hangbags for 1,700 euros and shoes featured in its latest campaign for 790 euros.

The interview did not discuss that Prada in the last few years has shifted a considerable portion of its manufacturing from Italy to Romania, where it makes shirts, tailoring and jersey pieces. The price of producing garments and accessories in Romania is of course considerably less than in Italy, but also the quality is not the same.

Perhaps when Mrs Prada is talking about "the right" system she is referring to the high margins the house must achieve to maintain its profit levels.